DaVinci Ornithopter

I built this and it hangs in my home office. Its about a 5 ft wingspan and is pretty closely based on DaVinci’s original design, except for the crazy tail I added. Purists will call me on this right away, but as Terry Gilliam said, “It’s just a model”. I did all the brass work by hand, with lots of loose interpretations.

-- Im so impressed with what people can do, and I wonder how they do it. Thats what keeps me doing it.

Thank you, it was a great project. Its mostly an interpretation of what I could figure out in drawings, but I got a great book, Leonardo’s Machines Published by D&C (David and Charles). Its a bunch of CAD drawings of some of DaVinci’s machines and really cleared up a lot of things. From that I just SWAG’d the measurements.

-- Im so impressed with what people can do, and I wonder how they do it. Thats what keeps me doing it.

Some really well done woodworking Bill, not to mention all that classy brass work and the historical aspect. I like that you added your own details instead of making a perfect copy. That is what a craftsman/inventor from the era would have done, which makes it even more authentic in my mind. Welcome to LJ. I hope you enjoy yourself here.

That’s a beauty! You’re liberal interpretation makes it a Bill original inspired by DaVinci. Purists preserve the lessons of history. Artists make history. Both are important, but I wouldn’t worry about what the other ‘party’ says. One day someone might be a purist about your creations.

Another elegant design. And I have to ask which aviation pioneer is next on your list: Santos Dumont, Glenn Curtis, Samuel Langley, Alexander Graham Bell, or the ones who actually succeeded – my hometown favorites Wilbur and Orville? :) Thanks for posting.

Thanks Leafherder, I think I actually want to build one of Dumont’s airships. I read the book “Wings of Madness” 8+ years ago and it was really great to get a feeling of that age. Five guys could go up in a week in home built whacky ideas, and only 2 might survive…...what a crazy time. This is Dumont’s Demoiselle

Another great book of that time is “Colonel Cody and the Flying Cathedral” by Garry Jenkins. Samuel F Cody was the first to fly in Britain, but he was actually an American, Samuel Franklin Cowdery. This is a scratch built Cathedral out of Oak of all things.

-- Im so impressed with what people can do, and I wonder how they do it. Thats what keeps me doing it.